


Blood of the Lamb

by Malkontent



Category: Arkham Horror (Board Game)
Genre: Cthulhu Mythos, Cultists, Dubious Consent, F/F, Horror, Lovecraftian, Nuns
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-30
Updated: 2010-12-30
Packaged: 2017-10-14 05:55:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/146105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Malkontent/pseuds/Malkontent
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A short story inspired by the Arkham Horror boardgame. Sister Mary and Jenny Barnes don't see eye to eye on how best to deal with the problems plaguing Arkham.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Blood of the Lamb

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Measured_Words](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Measured_Words/gifts).



“Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our light, our sweetness, and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve.”

Sister Mary’s eyes flickered open as she heard the footsteps approaching behind her, but she did not turn her eyes from the small altar that she knelt in front of. It was little more than a table with a few candles and pictures of saints, but right now, in these desperate times, it was all she could manage. She couldn’t go back to the church. Not after what had happened there.

Outside the dirty window, the old wooden sign proclaiming “Ma’s Boarding House” creaked in the cold evening wind.

“To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb...”

“It’s time” the young woman standing behind her said.

Mary sighed and crossed herself.

“Amen.” she said before standing and turning to Jenny.

“I don’t suppose you could have waited until my benediction was finished.” she sighed.

“You really think that hocus pocus will help?” Jenny asked with a mocking grin.

“Prayer never hurts.” Sister Mary said as her prayer beads disappeared into the wide sleeve of her black gown.

“That’s not what I asked, sister.”

Jenny Barnes clicked open her .38 special revolver and spun the cylinder, checking to be sure it was fully loaded before flicking it shut again.

“Personally, I put my faith in less ethereal means.”

“You know I disagree with your methods, Jennifer” Sister Mary said with a frown, “There is always a way to avoid violence.”

“You’re wrong, sister...” Jenny said as she lifted the hem of her blue sundress up to her hip, revealing the holster strapped high on her thigh. She slid the revolver into it and snapped it into place.

“...sometimes blood is the only solution.”

Sister Mary’s eyes followed the curve of Jenny’s thigh as she lifted her skirt. For a moment the breathe caught in her throat. Jenny had a marvelous figure, and legs that most women would kill for.

Jenny grinned slyly as she saw Mary’s gaze focused on her legs.

“See something you like?” she asked.

Sister Mary cleared her throat and pulled her eyes away from Jenny, looking down at her own folded hands.

“I... don’t know what you’re talking about.” she said, her cheeks flushing slightly red.

“Oh come on, sister...” Jenny purred as she stepped in closer to the nun, uncomfortably close, “You may have fooled the rest of your diocese, but I’ve seen how you look at me.”

Jenny put one hand on Sister Mary’s shoulder and pulled her closer. With the other she took Mary’s wrist and placed her shaking hand on her thigh.

“Stop...” Sister Mary whispered. There was a look in her eyes that might have been longing, or might have been fear, “I have taken solemn vows. I belong to the lord, my God.”

“He can afford to share.” Jenny moaned into her ear. She gently nipped at Mary’s ear before trailing her lips down the side of her neck to the soft skin of her collarbone. Mary inhaled sharply, her muscles taught with tension. Jenny’s hand slowly moved down the nun’s black gown, sliding over her firm breast.

“Stop it!” Mary said angrily, shoving the other woman back forcefully.

For a moment Jenny grinned at the nun before smoothing out her dress.

“I thought violence never solved anything?” she smirked as she turned to walk out of the room. “I’m leaving in five minutes. Finish your prayers.”

She left Sister Mary shaking in front of her makeshift altar, her skin flushed red, her chest heaving as she tried to calm herself.

“God forgive me...” she breathed.

  


* * *

  


“There it is.” Jenny whispered, putting down the small pair of binoculars she had scrounged from the general store, “The Codex Giga... The Devil's Bible. That damn book is what got my sister killed. I’ll be glad to watch it burn.”

Mary nodded and clutched her rosary tighter. From here they could see the bonfire burning in the clearing ahead. Naked figures danced in a macabre rhythm around the leaping flames. The thunderous beating of malefic drums undulated through the cool air. Behind the fire was a wooden pedestal, where the ancient, eldritch tome sat open.

“How many cultists are there?” Mary asked.

“Eight... no, nine.” Jenny said. It was hard to see through the dense foliage, even with the binoculars.

“We have to try to reason with them.”, Mary said, “They’re still people. Not like... not like that other thing...”

Jenny reached down and unstrapped the twin .38 special revolvers that were strapped to each of her thighs. She pulled back the hammers and turned to the nun.

“Let me know how that works out for you.” she said as she stood up and began walking toward the clearing.

“Jennifer!” Mary hissed through clenched teeth. She watched with eyes wide as the pretty young woman stepped out of the treeline, guns held aloft.

“Forgive her lord...” she whispered, bringing her rosary to her lips, “She knows not what she does...”

“Sorry fellas...” Jenny said with a smile as she stepped into the firelight. The drums stopped suddenly.

“...party’s over.”

The gaping maws of the silver revolvers erupted with white hot fire. Two gaping red holes appeared in the cultist nearest to her, one through his chest and another through his neck. With a twitch he fell over in a heap on the forest floor. Jenny turned and fired twice more, each shot hitting it’s mark with an uncanny accuracy. Two more naked figures dropped to the ground in agony. Blind rage overtook her and she began firing as fast as her hands could move, raining a hail of thunderous explosions into the clearing. The cultists scattered in confusion, their shrill screams echoing through the night sky. Some of them ran off into the woods and Jenny fired blindly after them, into the darkness, her eyes gleaming.

“Run, you sons of bitches!” She screamed as the hammers of her revolvers finally clicked on empty chambers. She tossed the guns onto the ground and looked around her. Half a dozen men and women lay dead or dying on the dry leaves of the forest floor around her. The rest had fled into the wilderness.

“That’s for Isabelle.” she whispered as she moved towards the book.

“Dear god...” Mary said as she stepped to the edge of the woods, surveying the carnage, “Jennifer... what in God’s name have you done...”

“What I had to.” Jenny said without turning around. She picked up the book and sighed, closing it with a dusty creak. “It’s over now. We have the book.”

The gunshot rang out through the now quiet woods and Jenny looked up in surprise. Her mouth opened, then closed again. She looked back down and saw the wet stain spreading across the front of her dress. In the raw firelight it seemed a deep brown.

She turned and looked at the nun standing behind her, the tiny Derringer clutched in the same hand as her prayer beads. Jenny's legs wobbled, then collapsed, and she fell gracelessly to her knees. The book dropped to the leafy ground in front of her.

“Why... Mary...” she mumbled as the nun walked over and knelt in front of her.

“I’m so sorry, Jennifer.” Mary said with a sigh, the Derringer disappearing back into the wide sleeves of her gown, “I would have preferred that you had lived to see the rebirth of my god... but you would have tried to stop me. This was the only way.”

She reached down and took the young girl’s face in her hands, gently pressing her lips to Jenny’s. Jenny whimpered for a moment, but then was silent. When Mary pulled her face away, she could see that the life had fled from Jenny’s eyes. A thin trickle of blood fell from the corner of her mouth.

She reached down and took the heavy tome as Jenny toppled over onto the bloodstained ground. With genuine sadness in her eyes, Mary looked down at her.

“If it’s any consolation, you were right, Jennifer. Sometimes blood is the only solution.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed it! For anyone else writing Arkham Horror fic, this site is an invaluable aid: http://www.arkhamhorrorwiki.com/Main_Page


End file.
